MIDDLESBROUGH suffers from the highest rate of homelessness in the North-east, but scores of local charities and organisations are dedicated to dealing with the problem. Neil Macfarlane talks to two of those who are leading the fight-back.

CARRIE-ANN Davies hit her lowest point last summer when she found herself on the streets after being evicted from her flat.

The 23-year-old’s landlord found out her flatmate had been subletting a room to her, and wanted her out straight away.

“I filled a suitcase with as many of my things as I could grab,” she said.

“I had nowhere to go.”

Many young people who find themselves in trouble would simply go home, but Carrie-Ann didn’t have that option because her mum and stepdad had recently moved to Cyprus.

With the little money she had, she managed to pay for a couple of nights at a B&B, but pretty soon she was out on her own again.

She slept in parks in Stockton, using the few clothes she had managed to grab in the rush to leave her flat to keep her warm through the nights.

“I had no one to turn to,” she said. “I was a mess.

“It was the worst time of my life. I just didn’t know what to do.”

After hearing about the homeless charity Community Campus 87, she visited their Middlesbrough office to fill out an application form, and was finally rehoused in August.

She is now settled in a place of her own, and has turned her life around to such an extent that she has even been accepted to study psychology and criminology at the University of Hull this September.

“Community Campus has helped me so much. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days when I get scared and panic, but they are always there for me and if I need advice I can turn to them.

“My support worker, Nicky, is great, and if I ever have a problem I know I can talk to her.

“I feel like part of a family. It’s the best feeling I’ve had for a long time.”

Young homeless people who turn for help from Community Campus get more than just a handout - they get a hand up.

The group has more than 50 properties across Teesside which provide accommodation for people aged under 25 who find themselves on the streets.

Many of those homes were rescued from dereliction by the service users themselves.

Simon Virth, the organisation’s supported housing manager, explains: “When we bought our first house, we brought in a team of builders to do it up.

“They would often turn up late, and didn’t do a great job at all. The young people who were going to live there asked us if they could do it themselves next time instead.

“We started giving them construction based training, and they took on the job.

“We ended up taking on these eyesore properties, that had become a real blight on the local community, and turning them into really nice homes.

“It’s a win-win situation, because the young people end up with skills that can help them find work, they get somewhere to live, and the building is brought back in to use.”

The strategy seems to fit perfectly with Prime Minister David Cameron’s “Big Society” policy, which aims to boost volunteerism and community work to deal with local problems.

Mr Virth said he hopes that will mean that the group will continue to receive the support it needs, despite cuts to public services.

“We tick a lot of the boxes in terms of the Big Society,” he said.

“We won’t be immune to the spending cuts, but we have got to provide evidence of the cost savings we create.

“If we can provide stability for a young person, they don’t have to go into care, which will save the taxpayer thousands every year. If we stop them going into the youth justice system, that can mean £70,000 to £80,000 saved.”

Community Campus deals with around 130 young people, most of whom have fallen out with their families and found themselves with nowhere to live. Since the group was formed in 1987, scores of young people have been helped to get their lives back on track.

Nightstop Teesside offers emergency short-term accommodation to young people by using a network of 25 families in Middlesbrough who give up spare rooms to those in need.

“It works very well - we have really been blessed,” said Tim Myer, the group’s volunteer coordinator.

“But we would rather be out of business. If there was no demand for our services, it would be good news for everyone.

“We provided about 400 nights of accommodation last year thanks to the kindness of local families.”

For more on Community Campus 87, call 01642 247209. Nightstop Teesside can be reached on 01642 493929.